Warming for the weekend, and Karrie’s Christmas tree advice…

We again start cold this morning, with temperatures in the 20s and lots of frost. But this afternoon, as expected, will be even warmer than yesterday. We reached 42 on Wednesday–right where we thought we’d end up… and today we expect 48. This will put us above normal for the first time since last week. Right now the month of November is running a bit colder than normal– by 2.3 degrees. We will end the month on this warming trend, and unseasonably mild temperatures will continue into the first week of December, too.

Sunshine will rule the sky this afternoon, but we’ll likely see a few more clouds on Friday. This would especially be true across the northern counties, where we run about a 10-20% chance of seeing a spotty shower as well:

Sunday will be the next GOOD chance of rain–yes, it will still be warm enough for rain! A weak front moves in and scattered showers will be possible, but not a wash-out of a day:

The front does not have a big push of cold air behind it, and it will move back north of the area as a warm front on Monday. So as the rain chance ends, temperatures will warm up to near 60-degrees! Tuesday brings another front and THAT one will bring in chilly weather for mid-week.

Today in the studio, we were discussing how this weekend will be a great weekend to put up the outdoor decorations… and to go pick out a Christmas tree… because the weather will be so mild. I hesitate to get a tree this early, mainly because I don’t want to have a withering tree by the time Christmas comes around (that did happen one year… even with consistent watering!) Soooo the always helpful Karrie Rossmiller checked with Nova Scotia’s Christmas Tree Research Center to find great tips we can all use to keep our trees from losing all their needles:

* Make a new cut on the stump when you first buy the tree or when you get it home… at least an inch above the previous cut.* Put the tree in water immediately, and maintain the water level.* Keep temperatures in the home slightly cooler, and position the tree away from the kitchen.* Keep fruits away from the tree, as they give off ethylene… a natural gaseous hormone that signals a tree to shed!* Leave on a light at night–being left in the dark causes a tree to respire more, using up its carbohydrates.* Be aware of the type of Christmas lights you’re using. Trees with white full-spectrum LED lights had the greatest longevity. Trees with blue lights performed the worst.